Apparatus and method for searching TV program

ABSTRACT

A TV program searching apparatus includes: an image receiving unit that receives an image having additional information from an external device; an additional information reading unit that reads the additional information from the image received from the image receiving unit; and a TV program searching unit that searches for a TV program related to the additional information using the additional information read by the additional information reading unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0032867, filed on Apr. 3, 2007 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to searching a TV program, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for searching a TV program using additional information added to an image.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, with the rapid spread of digital cameras, applied products such as information technology (IT) products having a global positioning system (GPS) function have come into the market.

For example, “iPAQ rx5000” (available from HP Korea, Co., Ltd), a kind of personal digital assistant (PDA) having a GPS function, has a high performance integrated antenna and receiver to provide a navigation function. This “iPAQ rx5000” receives a photograph having GPS information from another PDA or digital camera and displays the GPS information on a map. For example, if a consumer who uses a home-delivery service transmits a photograph including GPS information to a home-delivery service provider, the home-delivery service provider may deliver goods to the consumer based on the GPS information included in the transmitted photograph, which may allow its service to reach a wider area.

In addition, “GPS-CS1” (available from Sony Korea, Co., Ltd.), a mobile GPS receiver that can record position information through a digital camera connected thereto, stores the information by time when a user takes a photograph, and shows the photograph on a map along a user's path of movement when the user uses a related map software in a PC. “GPS-CS1” is used to store time and position information required for business related to construction, real estate and so on and to allow persons who take photographs as hobbies to manage the photographs without difficulty.

In addition, “D2H2” (available from Nicon, Co. Ltd.) is useful for architecture and road construction contractors who need information on positions of photographed places. Also, Nicon added a GPS function to a different Digital Single-Lens Reflex Camera (DSLR), “D200.”

On the other hand, related techniques using the GPS information provide road guidance, the shortest route, traffic information and so on in the automobile field and are used for digital maps, underground utility maps, geodetic survey and so on in the geographic information field. Additionally, the techniques are used for landing, air route, aviation traffic and so on in the aviation field, orbit determination, posture determination and so on in the aerospace field, and harbor access, normal navigation routes, distress signals, oil land detection, fish tracing and so on in the ship and marine field.

A related TV channel search system displays a channel list according to an automatic channel search instruction from a user and searches channels in a channel number order in the channel list, as described in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0323679. However, it takes much time for this system to find a channel or TV program desired by the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a TV program searching apparatus capable of finding a TV program desired by a user without difficulty using additional information (including GPS information) that has been added to an image.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a TV program searching method capable of finding a TV program desired by a user without difficulty using additional information (including GPS information) added to an image.

Additional aspects of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention can be achieved by providing a TV program searching apparatus including: an image receiving unit that receives an image having additional information from an external device; an additional information reading unit that reads the additional information from the image received from the image receiving unit; and a TV program searching unit that searches a TV program related to the additional information using the additional information read by the additional information reading unit.

According to an aspect of the invention, the additional information includes global positioning system (GPS) information and the image includes a photograph.

According to an aspect of the invention, the TV program searching apparatus further includes an information comparing unit that compares the additional information read by the additional information reading unit with TV program information provided from a broadcasting station, wherein the TV program searching unit searches the TV program related to the additional information based on a result of comparison by the information comparing unit.

According to an aspect of the invention, the TV program searching apparatus further includes a region information extracting unit that extracts particular region information using the additional information read by the additional information reading unit, wherein the information comparing unit compares the region information extracted by the region information extracting unit with the TV program information provided from the broadcasting station, and wherein the TV program searching unit searches the TV program related to the region information based on a result of comparison by the information comparing unit.

According to an aspect of the invention, the TV program searching apparatus further includes a controller that controls the image receiving unit, the additional information reading unit, the region information extracting unit, the information comparing unit and the TV program searching unit.

According to an aspect of the invention, the TV program searching apparatus further includes a display unit that displays a result of search by the TV program searching unit.

According to an aspect of the invention, the display unit displays the result of search by the TV program searching unit to directly tune to a related TV channel, to array representative pictures of related TV channels currently broadcasting on the entire screen or to display list of channels which will be broadcasted in the future.

According to an aspect of the invention, the TV program searching apparatus further includes a memory that stores the image having the additional information, TV program information and various kinds of data and programs.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention can be achieved by providing a TV program searching method including:

receiving an image having additional information from an external device;

reading the additional information from the received image; and searching a TV program related to the additional information using the read additional information.

According to an aspect of the invention, the additional information includes global positioning system (GPS) information and the image includes a photograph.

According to an aspect of the invention, the TV program searching method further includes comparing the read additional information with TV program information provided from a broadcasting station, wherein the TV program related to the additional information is searched based on a result of comparison.

According to an aspect of the invention, the TV program searching method further includes extracting particular region information using the read additional information, wherein the extracted region information is compared with the TV program information provided from the broadcasting station, and wherein the TV program related to the region information is searched based on a result of comparison.

According to an aspect of the invention, the TV program searching method further includes displaying a result of search.

According to an aspect of the invention, the displaying the result of search includes displaying to directly tune to a related TV channel, to array representative pictures of related TV channels currently broadcasting on the entire screen or to display a list of channels which will be broadcasted in the future.

According to an aspect of the invention, if the result of search is displayed as the list of channels which will be broadcasted in the future, the result of search is displayed to enable a reservation for view in advance or a reserved recording.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and/or other aspects of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a TV program searching apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing region information extracting unit, an information comparing unit and a controller, which are further added to the TV program searching apparatus of FIG. 1, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a display unit and a memory, which are further added to the TV program searching apparatus of FIG. 2, according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an overall concept of a TV program searching method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a TV program searching method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a TV program searching method according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a TV program searching method according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The exemplary embodiments are described below so as to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a TV program searching apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a TV program searching apparatus 100 using additional information added to an image according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an image receiving unit 110, an additional information reading unit 120 and a TV program searching unit 130.

The image receiving unit 110 receives an image 90 including additional information from an external device (for example, a digital camera having a GPS function).

The additional information reading unit 120 reads the additional information out of the image received by the image receiving unit 110.

The TV program searching unit 130 searches a TV program related to the additional information using the additional information read by the additional information reading unit 120.

Here, the additional information may include GPS information and meta information, and the image 90 may include a photograph, a still image and a motion picture. In addition, the GPS information may include information on latitude, longitude, altitude, world time and so on based on a photographed time.

In addition, as another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a TV program searching apparatus 100 may further include an information comparing unit 140 that compares the additional information read by the additional information reading unit 120 with TV program information provided from a broadcasting station, as shown in FIG. 2. In this exemplary embodiment, the TV program searching unit 130 searches the TV program related to the additional information based on a result of comparison by the information comparing unit 140.

In addition, the TV program searching apparatus 100 may further include a region information extracting unit 150 that extracts a particular region information using the additional information read by the additional information reading unit 120. At this time, the information comparing unit 140 compares the region information extracted by the region information extracting unit 150 with the TV program information provided from the broadcasting station, and the TV program searching unit 130 searches for the TV program or programs related to the region information based on the result of the comparison by the information comparing unit 140. In this exemplary embodiment, a general navigator may be used as the region information extracting unit 150. If the TV program searching apparatus 100 of the present invention is embodied by a digital TV, such a navigator may be installed within the digital TV or provided separately outside of the digital TV.

In addition, the TV program searching apparatus 100 may include a controller 160 that controls the image receiving unit 110, the additional information reading unit 120, the region information extracting unit 150, the information comparing unit 140 and the TV program searching unit 130.

In still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the TV program searching apparatus 100 may include a display unit 170 that displays a result of search by the TV program searching unit 130, as shown in FIG. 3.

In this exemplary embodiment, the result of search by the TV program searching unit 130 may be displayed on the display unit 170 by direct tuning to a related TV channel, or as an arrayed representative pictures of related TV channels currently broadcasting on the entire screen or a list of related channels which will be broadcasted in the future.

In addition, the TV program searching apparatus 100 may further include a memory 180 that stores the image having the additional information, TV program information, and various kinds of data and programs.

In this exemplary embodiment, the TV program searching apparatus 100 of the present invention may be embodied by a digital broadcasting receiver, such as a set top box (STB), which is separated from a display apparatus, or an electronic equipment, such as a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) phone or a digital TV, which is integrated with a display apparatus. If the TV program searching apparatus 100 is embodied by the set top box, a user may obtain information on a desired TV program by displaying the result of search by the TV program searching unit 130 on the separate display apparatus.

On the other hand, if the TV program searching apparatus 100 is embodied by the digital TV, the additional information reading unit 120, the TV program searching unit 130, the information comparing unit 140, the region information extracting unit 150 and the controller 160 may be embodied by a kind of computer program executed by a microprocessor. In this case, the computer program may be stored in a memory (RAM or ROM) contained in the digital TV. In addition, the computer program is programmed into a language adaptable to the microprocessor to operate the additional information reading unit 120, the TV program searching unit 130, the information comparing unit 140, the region information extracting unit 150 and the controller 160.

FIGS. 4 to 7 show several TV program searching methods of exemplary embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the overall concept of a TV program searching method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a TV program searching method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a TV program searching method according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a TV program searching method according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in a TV program searching method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, first, the image 90 having the additional information is received from an external device at operation S510. At this time, the received image 90 is stored in the memory 180. Here, the additional information may include GPS information, and the image may include a photograph.

When the image 90 having the additional information is received, the additional information (GPS information) is read from the received image 90 at operation S520 (route {circle around (1)} in FIG. 4). Then, a TV program related to the additional information is searched using the read additional information at operation S530.

As another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the TV program searching method may further include comparing the read additional information with TV program information provided from a broadcasting station at operation S525, as shown in FIG. 6. At this time, the TV program related to the additional information is searched for based on the result of the comparison.

Here, the operation of comparing the read additional information with the TV program information provided from the broadcasting station includes determining whether or not the additional information (GPS information) matches the TV program information (refer to 410 in FIG. 4). If it is determined that the additional information (GPS information) matches the TV program information, TV program or programs related to the additional information are searched for based on the result of the determination of a match, as described above. Here, the TV program information provided from the broadcasting station is received in real time and stored in the memory 180.

As still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the TV program searching method may further include extracting particular region information using the additional information read by the additional information reading unit at operation S730 (route {circle around (2)} in FIG. 4). Then, the extracted region information is compared with the TV program information provided from the broadcasting station at operation S740, and a TV program related to the region information is searched for based on the result of the comparison at operation S750, as shown in FIG. 7. Here, the extraction of the particular region information may be performed by a navigator. That is, when the additional information read by the additional information reading unit is inputted to the navigator, the navigator displays a particular region corresponding to the GPS information on a map. Thus, a user can obtain the particular region information.

In addition, the TV program searching method may further include displaying the result of search at operation S760. At this time, as shown in 420 in FIG. 4, the result of search may be displayed by direct tuning to a related TV channel, or as an arrayed representative set of pictures of related TV channels currently broadcasting on the entire screen or a list of channels which will be broadcasted in the future.

If the result of search is displayed as the list of channels which will be broadcasted in the future, it may be displayed to enable a reservation for viewing in advance or a reserved recording. At this time, a user can make the reservation for viewing in advance or the reserved recording by a user selection (for example, selection by manipulation of a remote controller or the like). Operations S710 and S720 in FIG. 7 correspond to the operations S510 and S520 in FIG. 5, and therefore, their details are not described here.

The user selects one of the above-mentioned displays types, and can find a desired TV program from the selected type of display using the additional information added to an image.

As is apparent from the above description, an aspect of the present invention provides a TV program searching apparatus and method which is capable of providing a user with TV program information corresponding to additional information added to an image, thereby allowing a user to find a desired TV program without difficulty.

In addition, an aspect of the present invention provides a TV program searching apparatus and method which can be utilized for a user to search programs such as travel guide, fishing, food, tourist resort and so on by providing the user with TV program information corresponding to additional information.

Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A TV program searching apparatus comprising: an image receiving unit that receives an image having additional information from an external device; an additional information reading unit that reads the additional information from the image received from the image receiving unit; a TV program searching unit that recommends TV programs to a user by searching for a TV program which is related to the additional information using the additional information read by the additional information reading unit; and an information comparing unit that compares the additional information read by the additional information reading unit with TV program information provided from a broadcasting station, wherein the TV program searching unit searches for the TV program related to the additional information based on the result of the comparison by the information comparing unit, wherein the TV program searching apparatus further comprises a region information extracting unit that extracts particular geographical region information using the additional information read by the additional information reading unit, wherein the information comparing unit compares the geographical region information extracted by the region information extracting unit with the TV program information provided from the broadcasting station, and wherein the TV program searching unit searches for the TV program related to the geographical region information based on the result of the comparison by the information comparing unit.
 2. The TV program searching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the additional information comprises global positioning system (GPS) information and the image comprises a photograph.
 3. The TV program searching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller that controls the image receiving unit, the additional information reading unit, the region information extracting unit, the information comparing unit and the TV program searching unit.
 4. The TV program searching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays the result of the search by the TV program searching unit.
 5. The TV program searching apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display unit displays the result of search by the TV program searching unit by directly tuning to a related TV channel, by displaying an arrayed representative set of pictures of related TV channels currently broadcasting on the entire screen or by displaying a list of channels which will be broadcasted in the future.
 6. The TV program searching apparatus of claim 4, wherein the result of the search is displayed to enable a reservation for viewing in advance or a reserved recording.
 7. The TV program searching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a memory that stores the image having the additional information, TV program information and various kinds of data and programs.
 8. The TV program searching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image having additional information is a user query received from the external device by the image receiving unit and wherein the TV program searching unit searches for TV programs being broadcast by program channels based on the additional information without the received image, where the additional information is extracted from the query.
 9. The TV program searching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display which broadcasts the TV program currently being provided by a TV channel, wherein the TV program matches the additional information provided from the external device as user input and wherein the TV program comprises at least one of travel guides, fishing, food, and tourist resort for the location identified by the additional information.
 10. The TV program searching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the TV program searching unit compares the additional information extracted from the image received as user query from the external device with TV program information provided by broadcast stations.
 11. A TV program searching method comprising: receiving an image with additional information from an external device; reading the additional information from the received image; comparing the read additional information with TV program information provided from a broadcasting station; and recommending TV programs by searching for a TV program related to the additional information using the read additional information, wherein the TV program related to the additional information is searched based on a result of comparison, wherein the TV program searching method further comprising extracting particular geographical region information using the read additional information, wherein the extracted geographical region information is compared with the TV program information provided from the broadcasting station, and wherein the TV program related to the geographical region information is searched for based on the result of the comparison.
 12. The TV program searching method according to claim 11, wherein the additional information comprises global positioning system (GPS) information and the image comprises a photograph.
 13. The TV program searching method according to claim 11, further comprising displaying a result of search.
 14. The TV program searching method according to claim 13, wherein the displaying the result of search comprises displaying to directly tune to a related TV channel, to an arrayed representative set of pictures of related TV channels currently broadcasting on the entire screen or to display a list of channels which will be broadcasted at a future time.
 15. The TV program searching method according to claim 14, wherein, if the result of search is displayed as the list of channels which will be broadcasted at a future time, the result of search is displayed to enable a reservation for viewing in advance or a reserved recording. 